Judith Richards is an accomplished novelist whose works reflect her diverse life experiences and deep connection to the American South. Before pursuing writing, she worked as an actress, animal trainer, and carnival laborer, roles that later influenced her storytelling. Her debut novel, "Sounds of Silence," published by G. P. Putnam, follows a young deaf man aspiring to be a writer, inspired by her time lecturing in schools for the deaf. Richards gained international acclaim with her second novel, "Summer Lightning," a global bestseller based on the childhood of her husband, writer C. Terry Cline Jr. The book has remained in print since 1978 and has been translated into 17 languages.
Richards' writing often explores themes of social injustice and regional identity, shaped by her firsthand observations of segregation during her time in Montgomery, Alabama. Her novel "Too Blue to Fly," which drew from these experiences, was nominated for the Lillian Smith Award and won the Alabama Library Association award for fiction. Music and place also play significant roles in her work, as seen in "Thelonious Rising" and "Katrina Rising," the latter set against the backdrop of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. Two of her six novels have received the Alabama Library Association award, cementing her reputation as a distinctive voice in Southern literature.
Now residing on Mobile Bay with her husband, Richards continues to draw from her rich personal history and the cultural tapestry of the South. Her forthcoming electronic release of "Katrina Rising" marks her ongoing engagement with contemporary publishing formats while staying true to the storytelling traditions that define her career.